Cutting apparatus



Sept. 9, 1952 N. zUcK 2,609,875

CUTTING APPARATUS Filed oct. 7, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 [NVE/wop /V.ZUCK

Sept. 9, 1952 N. zUcK CUTTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 7, 1948 sept. 9, 1952 N. zucK ,Y 2,609,875

CUTTING APPARATUS Filed oct. 7, 1948 s sheets-sheet s /NVENTOR N. Z UC K A T rn/viv Patented Sept. 9, 1952 i CUTTING APPARATUS Y Nicholas Zuck, Brooklyn, Y., assigner to-Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 7, 1948, Serial N0. 53,221

This invention relates to cutting apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for cutting elongate material into predetermined lengths during longitudinal advancement of the material:

In the manufacture of numerous electrical units for the communicationA arts, insulating bushings of -predetermine,d s, variable lengths are cut from insulating materials such as cellulose acetate tubes. The length of the bushings is an important factor during the assembly of theelectrical units including the bushings as parts thereof. Furthermore, it is essential that the bushings or lengths of the material be given a straight cut free of burrs or irregular edges so that they may accurately lit within the unit of which they are to be a part. It has been found that tubular material formed of cellulose acetate cannotbe cut with any degree of accuracy bythe commercially known cutting machines. l I vAnrobject of the invention is to ,provide a cuttingapparatus which is simple in structure and highly efcient in operation for accurately eutting elongate material into predeterminedlengths during intermittent longitudinal advancement of. the material. With this and other objects in view, the; invention comprises an apparatus for cutting elongate material into predetermined lengths including a rotor driven about its axis, means to guide a material longitudinally in a path adjacent the periphery of the rotor, a cutting blade and a rocking element mounted in the rotor to support the blade therein whereby the blade will be held in a given position in its circuitous path untilit strikes the material with its cutting edge, yielding` means allowing rocking movement of the bladewith its element to cause the blade to shear the material in two.

`More specifically, the apparatus includes diametrically opposed rocking elements, in the rotor, individually urged into their normal positions by spring pressed plungers against stops, the plungers being depressed when their respective cutting blades engage materials causing rocking movement of the elements with the blades, moving the blades in shearing actions relative to the materials to accurately cut predetermined lengths from the materials.V A stator is mounted concentric With the rotor and composed mainly of two parts spaced a given distance from each other providing an annular guide for the cutting blades, holding the blades against buckling during the cutting operations. Guides for the materials include apertures through the spaced statormembersI whereby the portions of the materials ad- 2 claims. (C1. 164-.-60)

Y 2 jacent the cutting path `will be supported prior to and during the cutting operations.

Otherv objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompany-` ing drawings, wherein: I

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of the apparatus; I

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Y

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View through the rotor, a portion of the stator being broken away; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6I isa fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Fig. 1 which illustrates a base I0 upon-.which bearing brackets II and I2 arek mounted. vThe bearing brackets II and I2 house suitable bearings for a drive shaft I4 which supports a rotor I5 keyed to the shaft for rotation therewith. A stator unit I6 includes bearings I'I interposed between the bearing brackets II and I2to `assist in supporting the shaft closely acljacent the rotor I5. The shaft I4 is driven from a power source (not shown) through a belt I8 and a pulley I9, thelatter being xedly mounted upon the shaft. A guide unitZI including guide sleeves 22 is mounted upon the stator unit I6 to receive materials 25 as they are advanced longitudinally predetermined distances determined by variable stops 26 mounted in the paths of the materials 25. VIn the `present embodiment of the invention, the stops 26 are adjustable screws threadedly disposed in apertures of brackets 21 and provided With knurledheads 2B by the aid of which the screws may be adjusted relative to the stator unit to vary the lengthsof the portions cut from the materials 25. In actual practice, a more complicated structure may be employed to serve as stops for the materials including a mechanism to move the stops away from the materials during the cutting operations to allow the portions cut from the materials to move longitudinally and` be ejected from the stator unit after the cutting operations have been completed. Hoppers or chutes 30 are positioned beneath the adjustable stops 26 to receive the portions cut from the materials 25.

The rotor is shown more in detail in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive. It willbe noted that diametrically opposed apertures 33 are formed in the rotor I5 ,to

f receive rocking elements 34 which are identical in structure. The rocking elements are cylindrical in general contour and have diametrically opposed arcuate grooves 36 in their peripheries to receive the inner ends 3l of stop screws 38 mounted in pairs of aligned threaded apertures 39 in the rotor l5. The stop screws serve also to main-q tain the rocking elements against lateral` displacement in the rotor. Spring pressed plungers 4D slidable in parallel apertures 4I in the rotor I5 are positioned to engage shoulders 42 of cutaway portions 43 in the rocking elements 34 .to normally urge the elements counterclockwise about tions.

As shown more in detail in Fig. 5, the rocking elements 34 have parallel apertures 44 to receive rods 45 which are rigidly held in position in the rocking elements by pins 4G extending through i apertures in vthe rocking Velements and through aligned apertures intheir respective rods 45. The rods 45 of each rocking element are ofthe proper size and suitably positioned to receive the stand- 'ard double edge razor blade 50 which hereinafter will be described as the cut-ting blade. `Clamping elements 5| have spaced apertures therein to receive the rods 45 of their element and is held firmly in place on Athe lrods by nuts 52 disposed upon the threaded ends of the rods. The rocking elements 34 were described as being urged into their normal positions lby spring pressed plungers disposed in apertures 4I of the rotor i5. Springs 54 back of the plungers 40 are compressed bythe aid of screws disposed in the threaded `ends ofthe apertures 47| and adjustable therein to vary the forces' of the'springs applied to the plungers 43.

The stator unit i6 includes a main member B which is annular in general contour with the exception of the lower portion 6|, this portion extending downwardly and being -Xedlymounted upon the-base 10. It will be vnoted by viewing Fig. -2 that the 'hoppers 3G, particularly the upper portions thereof partially coliform to the member 60 as at 52 to readily receive the portions 4cut from the'materials 25. The member 'ha's annular recesses 83 at diametrically opposed positions with pairs of material guidingv apertures 64 Yand 65 of different sizes therein which are selectively disposed in alignment with the material Y'guides 22. The member' 60 is also apertured at 61 to support the material upon one side of the path of the cutting blades A companion member 3S, of the stato-r, annular i-n general contour-has spaced apertures 68 lto receive locating pins $9 shown yin detail in Fig. 6 to accurately locatetheinember jwith respect tothe member Bil. The pins 69 arel rrnly held in vapertures of the main member 68. Threaded apertures 'lil (Fig. 3) disposed at spaced -positions in the member Gil have annular recesses 'H about theoute' ends thereoi toreceive washers 12 which serve as spacers to accuratelypos'ition Y the member 55 a given distance from the membei' 623. Suitable apertures 13 .are formed in the member 'SS Ito receive the thumb .screws .'14 to re'- movably secure 'the member 66 in place against the washers l2 providing an annular guide '1.8 between the members of `a given width :sufficient for the cutting blades 5U and to 'hold the cutting blades against buckling during cutting operations. Two .pairs of vapertures 80 and 81 diier ing in size are formed in the member 66 for selective positioning in 4registration with "theirv respective apertures 64 and 65 depending upon the diameters of the material 25 being advanced through the apertures. These pairs of apertures allow for materials of different sizes to be fed through the apparatus and thereby be cut into portions of predetermined lengths.

Considering now theoperation of the apparatusyletrit be understood-that the apparatus is set to receive like materials 25 of a given size and that suitable means is provided to advance these materials longitudinally against the adjustable stops V25 which have been previously set given distances vfrom the path of the cutting blades depending upon` the lengths of the portions to be v'out iror'n the materials. It will be apparent that the stops 26 may be positioned like or different distances from the member 25 or the path of the Vcutting blades to cut portions of diderent lengths from their respective materials.

The apparatus maybe put in operation by causing rotation of the shaft I4 to rotate the rotor I5, moving the rocking 'elements with their bladesV throughv a cirouitous path controlled by the stator I6. The actions of the rocking elements and theirblades are identical. To simplify the -descriptionr'of these elem-ents," the sequencefof 'operation of one vrocking elementjand its blade will be described and this description will apply equally well to the other rocking ele'- ment and vcutting blade. Consider for example, the 'rocking element -andcutting -blade inear the top of Fig. V2, vas it travels in apcounterclockwise direction toward the material 25 a-t the' lef-t Vof this figure. The position of the'cutting blade and its rocking element are shown-in broken lines as the cutting blade -rst engages thema-'- ter-iai. Thefcutting'edge of the cutting blade is in a position which is substantiallygradially with respect to the axis of the rotor as the initial cut is made-on the material. V'The resistance vof the material against thecutting blade will causethe blade with its rocking element to be rocked into the position shownat the left of Fig. 4,.'forci'ng the rocking element into its operating Vposition against the force of the spring 54 appliedk to its plungers .46, whereby the cutting edge 0f` the blade will'be positioned to shear the-remainder of thethickness of the vmaterial; As soon as 'the cutting has beenfco'rnpleted through the material, the cuttingblade and the rocking element are urged into their normal `positioiis by the `spring pressed plunger where they remain until the cutting blade reach-es the Vother material 25 at the right of Fig. 4, at which time a similar operation takes place.- `The cutting blade nrst strikes this material in a lateral position v'with respect to its path of movement 'beginning its cut through the material, the resistance of the material causing rocking motion to be Y.applied to the cutting vblade and rocking element against the force offthe spring pressed plungers During this rock#- ing motion, alsecond cutting action occurs,y after which 'a shearing action takesplace complet-ing the cut through the .mate-rial.v Thisl operation'is completed,A` bo'tli materials having portions-'cut therefrom by each blade lduring each rrota-tion of the. rotor, .the stator orminga guided l-pat-h torY both blades .supporting Athem during the cutting operations against .buckling-wlfiereby-- the thin razor blade types of cutters may be ern-- ployedV to Vperform .the cutting voperations whileV arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which willl embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for cutting elongate material into predetermined lengths comprising a rotor driven about its axis, a blade having a cutting edge, a holder for the blade, pivoted l means mounting the holder for rocking movement about its axis on the rotor adjacent the periphery thereof and to move in a circular path with the rotor, a stator having annular members, aligned material` receiving apertures therein, disposed closely adjacent the sides of the path of the blade concentric with the rotor to maintain the blade against flexing, the apertures holding the material on opposite sides of the path, means to limit rocking movement of the holder to an area between its normal position, when the cutting edge of the blade will extend substantially radially of the axis of the rotor, and its operated position when the cutting edge of the blade will have moved through increasingly variable shearing positions of increased angles from the normal position of the cutting edge, and means applying a force to the holder which is suiiicient to position the blade in its normal position when iirst engaging the material but insufficient to withstand the resistance of the material against the blade to cause the blade to rock with the holder into its various shearing positions to shear a length from the material.

2. An apparatus for cutting elongate material into predetermined lengths comprising a rotor driven about its axis and having an aperture therein adjacent its periphery, a blade having a cutting edge, a holder for the blade having a cylindrical portion receivable in the aperture of the rotor whereby the holder and blade will be rockable relative to the rotor while rotating therewith, a stator having annular members, with aligned material receiving apertures therein, disposed closely adjacent the sides: of the path of the blade concentric with the :rotor to maintain the blade against iiexing, the apertures holding the material on opposite sides of the path, means to limit rocking movement of the holder to an area between its normal position, when the cutting edge of the blade will extend substantially radially of the axis of the rotor, and its operated position when the cutting edge of the blade will have moved through increasingly variable shearing positions of increased angles from the normal position of the cutting edge, and means applying a force to the holder which is sufficient to position the blade in its normal position when first engaging the material but insufficient to withstand the resistance of the material against the blade tocause the blade to rock with the holder into its various shearing positions to shear a length from the material.

` NICHOLAS ZUCK.

REFERENCES CITED 'The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Genovese Apr. 5, 1949 

